How to Choose Pilot Workload?

The Concept of the “Favorite Child” in Cloud Transformation

In the world of cloud transformation, the concept of the “favorite child” is often used to describe a particular application or service that is chosen as the first candidate for migration to the cloud. This blog post will explore the concept of the “favorite child” in cloud transformation, discussing both its positive and cautionary aspects.

Understanding the ‘Favorite Child’ A “favorite child” in the context of cloud transformation is an application or service that is chosen as the first candidate for migration to the cloud. This application is often chosen because it represents a “goldilocks” level of complexity – not too simple, but not too complex – and provides an opportunity to tell a significant success story.

For example, lift & shift of a printer queue server is not a suitable candidate, as there is no significant modernization, and it probably fails to pique anyones interest even if successful. On the other hand, starting with a legacy mainframe core app that requires complete re-writing is most likely also a bad idea, as the team may not have the skill set or the confidence to tackle this challenge, yet.

By choosing a “favorite child”, organizations can build confidence in their team and learn valuable lessons that can be applied to future migrations.

The Positive Side of Having a ‘Favorite Child’ Having a “favorite child” can be a positive thing for organizations undergoing cloud transformation. By choosing an application that represents a “goldilocks” level of complexity, organizations can ensure that their first migration is a success. In a cloud migration context, this could mean a workload that will be subject to meaningful modernization, but not necessarily completely re-architecture, in order to ensure acceleration.

In addition, by choosing a “favorite child”, organizations can learn valuable lessons about cloud migration that can be applied to future migrations. This can help to streamline the migration process and reduce the risk of failure.

The success story aspect is especially important when dealing with a large scale transformation. By selecting a workload that has the ability to captivate the interest of stakeholders, such as end customers or senior executives, allows the transformation team to start building trust.

The Cautionary Side of Having a ‘Favorite Child’ While having a “favorite child” can be beneficial, it is important to be cautious about focusing too much on this one application. By devoting all of their resources to the “favorite child”, organizations may neglect other applications that are also in need of migration. This can lead to delays and increased costs, as well as reduced benefits from cloud transformation.

In addition, by focusing too much on the “favorite child”, organizations may create an environment where other applications are seen as less important. This can lead to resentment and reduced motivation among team members responsible for these other applications.

In a migration setting, once the migration is complete, the workload team should no longer have access to the migration support resources, for example.

Some time ago I was working with a customer who were struggling to launch their first wave post-pilot. A quick study revealed the migration support teams, including the Cloud Center of Excellence, were still expected to hand-hold the “favorite child” team. This was seen necessary, as the workload had modernized beyond the abilities of the team. As they were unable to operate their own application, they were eating up the resources which should have been supporting the next wave of migrations.

Striking a Balance To avoid these potential pitfalls, it is important for organizations to strike a balance when choosing their “favorite child”. While it is important to choose an application that represents a “goldilocks” level of complexity and provides an opportunity for success, it is also important to ensure that other applications are not neglected.

One way to achieve this balance is by setting clear priorities and allocating resources accordingly. By prioritizing applications based on their importance and complexity, organizations can ensure that all applications receive the attention they need.

Another way to achieve balance is by involving team members from different areas of the organization in the decision-making process. By seeking input from a diverse group of stakeholders, organizations can ensure that all perspectives are considered when choosing their “favorite child”.

During a migration, having a clear vision of future cloud operating model is critical. This will help you communicate the roles of different teams during and post transformation or migration. For example, once a migration is considered complete, the migration support teams are no longer accessible to the migrated teams. Otherwise you risk getting stalled.

The concept of the “favorite child” in cloud transformation is both positive and cautionary. While having a “favorite child” can provide an opportunity for success and learning, it is important to be cautious about focusing too much on this one application. By striking a balance and involving team members from different areas of the organization in the decision-making process, organizations can ensure that all applications receive the attention they need during cloud transformation.

Favorite Child Checklist

Attribute	Description
Goldilocks Complexity	The application should not be too simple or too complex. It should represent a “goldilocks” level of complexity that provides an opportunity for success and learning.
Potential for Success Story	The application should have the potential to become a significant success story that can build confidence in the team and demonstrate the benefits of cloud transformation to stakeholders, internal and external.
Opportunity for Learning	The application should provide an opportunity for the team to learn valuable lessons about cloud migration that can be applied to future migrations.
Balanced Resource Allocation	Ensure that choosing this application as the “favorite child” does not lead to other applications being neglected or deprived of resources.
Stakeholder Involvement	Involve team members from different areas of the organization in the decision-making process to ensure that all perspectives are considered.